Dr. Merritt is a Board Certified Pediatrician and Neonatologist who has served as Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego and Davis, and most recently at Loma Linda University. He also was Course Coordinator for Medical Professionalism at the Poznan University of Medical Sciences in Poland. He has published more than 200 peer reviewed publications. His research has focused on surfactant instillation techniques, the function of KL-4 peptide to mimick SP-B in animal models and in human clinical trials.

T Allen Merritt research has also focused on the adverse effects of maternal smoking on fetal lung development, and the impact of various assisted reproductive technologies on infant outcomes, including surrogate pregnancy. He has evaluated the impact of marijuana use during pregnancy on infant and child development and focused on patient focused care and parental preferences in the management of infants born with Trisomy 18 and 13. He is a senior member of the Society for Pediatric Research and the American Academy of Pediatrics.